The Arrowverse captivated DC Comics fans for many years. While the movies struggled to gain traction, many fans flocked to the CW for Arrow and The Flash. Each show covered multiple storylines and introduced many fan favorite characters. One arc that was teased constantly involved David Ramsey’s character, John Diggle, taking the mantle of the Green Lantern. That arc failed to materialize, and now James Gunn is taking everything in a new direction. Ramsey was asked about the story arc and reflected on how hard it was to see it fall by the wayside.
Arrowverse Star David Ramsey On Green Lantern Arc
The Green Lantern arc was teased for years. Multiple shows foreshadowed the transformation until the creators finally shut the door. In season 8 of The Flash, John Diggle rejects the glowing green mystery box, much to the disappointment of fans. Ramsey was at a FAN EXPO event in Denver and was asked about the abandoned storyline.
“Yeah, we only teased it for six years. There was a lot of things going on at Warner Bros. and DC, there were president changes and regime changes. So Marc Guggenheim and I and some other executives were regularly like, ‘Hey, we really want to push this Green Lantern thing to make it possible.’ So there are some executives in DC, and Warner Bros. said yes. Others have said no.
So each time, [when] you saw like Ernie Hudson, who came to play Colonel Stewart, who was John Stewart’s father, that was like a yes. And then there was, during [Elseworlds,] one of the Flashes said, ‘Hey, John, where’s your ring?’ Yeah, so that was another yes. So we’re in the process of something happening. Even in the finale, when there was a meteor in the end, we found a box.
And then some other things happened. And then there were a string of Nos. And so ultimately, there was an episode of The Flash where, basically, now the consensus is known. What happened with Green Lantern: There was supposed to be a movie. And then there was a TV show and Greg Berlanti had Green Lantern. And then something happened with that. So there was a lot of politics around that property way above my head.
And so then Mr. James Gunn came, and obviously there’s a whole lot happening there, so I’m actually looking forward to that version. I can’t wait to see, but the answer [to] your question is yes, that was a real thing. But there were a lot of politics going on that were way above my head. There were Yeses and Nos and Yeses and Nos. And every time there was a yes reflected in writing, and every time it was a no, it reflected the writing.”
Ramsey is clearly disappointed about not getting to wear the famous green ring. However, DC has struggled over the years to build its on on-screen universe, leading to many changes. Fans of the Lantern Corps won’t have to wait long to see what Gunn has planned. Nathan Fillion will appear as Guy Gardner in the new Superman movie. This will be followed by the series Lanterns, with Kyle Chandler as Hal Jordan and Aaron Pierre as John Stewart. It is set to release early next year.
Final Thoughts
While it is disappointing to see this storyline get abandoned in the Arrowverse, it is exciting to hear that Green Lantern will be on the big screen soon. DC has so many cool characters, and many fans are excited to see how Gunn can finally bring them to life on the big screen in an effective way.
